The official announcement of Winners
of 2012 EU Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards

The Hague/
Brussels 20 March 2012- The winners of the 2012 European Union Prize for
Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards are announced today by the European
Commission and Europa Nostra (see list below). The awards will be presented on 1
June during a ceremony at the Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon in the presence of
Androulla Vassiliou, European Commissioner for Education, Culture,
Multilingualism and Youth, and Plácido Domingo, the world-renowned tenor and
President of Europa Nostra. The event is taking place under the patronage of
Aníbal Cavaco Silva, President of Portugal, who will also be present, and José
Manuel Barroso, President of the Commission. Of the 28 winning projects from 15
different European countries, six will be named as 'grand prix' laureates as
2012's most outstanding heritage achievements.

"Europe's
cultural heritage is unique in the world. The European Union Prize for Cultural
Heritage highlights excellence in conservation, research, education, training
and awareness raising, as well as dedicated service by individuals and groups. I
would like to warmly congratulate this year's winners for reminding us of our
wonderfully rich and varied heritage that we should never take for granted. It
is in our trust for future generations," said
Commissioner Vassiliou.

"I am very
pleased that the European Commission is once again Europa Nostra's partner in
celebrating outstanding work in the field of cultural heritage. I also wish to
congratulate the Commission for having confirmed its commitment to supporting
our shared objectives through the proposed 'Creative Europe' programme. European
funding is vital: it boosts creativity and innovation, which helps us to bring
our past alive and to safeguard our treasures for the future," added
Europa Nostra's President, Plácido Domingo.

The 28 winners
were selected from among 226 submitted projects from 31 countries. The awards
are split into four categories - conservation, research, dedicated service, and
education, training and awareness-raising. Each category has its own specialist
jury, composed of independent experts from across Europe. All the winners
receive a plaque or trophy. The six 'grand prix' winners also receive €10,000
each. The 2012 European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards
ceremony in Lisbon on 1 June is part of Europa Nostra's annual European Heritage
Congress. The deadline to apply for the next awards is 1 October 2012. The
awards ceremony is expected to take place in Athens on 13 June 2013.

Europa Nostra is a pan-European NGO which
acts as the voice of cultural heritage. It brings together and represents 250
non-governmental and non-profit organisations from more than 50 European
countries, with a combined membership of at least 5 million citizens. It also
counts on the support of over 150 associate public authorities and corporations
and more than 1500 individual members. Its vast network of professionals and
volunteers is committed to safeguarding Europe's cultural heritage for present
and future generations.

Cultural heritage
brings a significant - and often underrated - contribution to job creation and
growth. The sector represents an important part of the cultural and creative
industries, which provide jobs for 8.5 million people in the EU and contribute
up to 4.5% to Europe's GDP. Spending on conservation of cultural heritage by
public and private bodies is worth an estimated €5 billion a year. Figures
published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
show that 40% of worldwide tourism has a cultural dimension. Cultural heritage
is also a key resource for sustainable development and social cohesion.

The awards are
supported by the Culture Programme of the European Union, which has invested
around €30 million in co-financing heritage-related projects since 2007. Other
EU-funded programmes also provide support: the European Regional Development
Fund has allocated for €6 billion for culture in 2007-2013. Of this, €3 billion
supports the protection and preservation of cultural heritage, €2.2 billion aids
the development of cultural infrastructure and €775 million co-funds cultural
services such as vocational training, arts and heritage education, promotion of
heritage routes, etc; a further €150 million has been made available through EU
Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development since 1998.